ACTIVITY

GAS PRESSURE AND

ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE
 GAS PRESSURE
&
ATMOSPHERIC
PRESURE

Gas pressure based Atmospheric pressure

on the in terms of the
kinetic theory of gases weight of the atmosphere

Instruments for measuring Atmospheric pressure

gas pressure: at sea level
c) Manometer = 105 Nm-2 or 105 Pa
d) Bourdon gauges = 760 mm Hg

Instruments for measuring

atmospheric pressure:
Problems involving atmospheric
c) Mercury barometer
pressure and gas pressure
d) Fortin barometer
e) Aneroid barometer

Applications:
b) Rubber suckers
c) Straws
d) Syringes
e) Siphons
f) Lift pumps
 Gas

GAS PRESSURE
molecules

• Based on the
Gas
molecules Kinetic molecular theory
m • The force per unit
u
area exerted by the
Newton’s 2nd law gas particles as they
collide with the
Newton’s 3rd law
walls of their
v
container

Wall of container
 GAS PRESSURE
Depends on
The mass of The rate of
the gas impact of gas
molecules on
the wall

Depends on
Density and temperature of the gas

THE TOTAL PRESSURE = ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE +

hpg
INSTRUMENTS OF MEASURING GAS
PRESSURE

MANOMETER • The pressure can be measured

by calculating the difference in
height between the two columns
in liquids
A • When the manometer is not
connected to any gas supply,
only atmospheric pressure acts
on both surfaces.
• When the manometer is
connected to a gas supply, the
gas would exert a pressure on
the liquid at point B.
B C • If the pressure is greater than the
atmospheric pressure, the
pressure difference will force
down the liquid level at point B.
• At equilibrium, the pressure must
be same at all points along the
horizontal level ( pb = pc )
 ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
• The force per unit area exerted against a
surface by the weight of the air molecules
above that surface
• Pressure at sea level is 1 atmosphere
• 1 atm = 105 Nm-2
• = 105 Pa or 76 cm Hg ( mercury )
• Acts equally in all directions
• Decreased with altitude, at higher altitudes,
the density and the temperature of the air are
lower. As the result, the frequency of
collision of the molecules is lower. Hence,
the atmospheric pressure is lower.
 THE EXISTENCE OF
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Magdeburg
hemispheres

• The experiment performed by Otto Van Guericke in 1654.

• When the air inside two Magdeburg hemisphere was
sucked out to form vacuum,
• The outside atmospheric pressure compress the two
hemispheres together
• Two teams of 8 horses each were unable to separated the
two hemispheres until air had been readmitted.
 INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
MERCURY BAROMETER
 ANEROID BAROMETER

The aneroid barometer has a metal drum, any change in

pressure causes the box to be squashed or to expand.
 If the air pressure increases, the metal drum is squeezed down
slightly.
If the air pressure decreased, the metal drum will expand and the
spring will pull up the top of the metal drum.
The small movement of the box is magnified to a larger motion
on the scale pointer by means of levers
 APPLICATIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE

Drinking Straw

When drinking from a straw, one tends to suck the

straw. This causes the pressure in the straw to
decrease.
The external atmospheric pressure, which is greater,
will then act on the surface of the water in the glass,
causing it to rise up the straw.
 Rubber sucker
• When the rubber sucker is pressed onto a
smooth surface, usually a glass or tiled surface,
the air in the rubber dish is forced out. This
causes the space against the surface to have
low pressure
• The contact between the rubber dish and the
smooth surface is airtight
• The external atmospheric pressure, which is
much higher, acts on the rubber dish, pressing it
surely against the wall
 Vacuum cleaner

• A vacuum cleaner, applies the principle of

atmospheric pressure to remove dust particles.
• The fan sucks out the air and then becomes a
partial vacuum.
• The atmospheric pressure outside,( is greater )
then forces air and dust particles into the filter
bag. This traps the dust particles but allows the
air to flow through an exit at the back.
 SOLVING PROBLEMS
• Why is the space above the
mercury level a vacuum?
• Determine the pressure at
points A, B, and C,in units
of cm Hg
96 • Calculate the atmospheric
pressure, in units of Pa.
( take atmospheric pressure
= 76 cm Hg; density of
mercury = 1.36 x 104 kg m-3
; gravitational field strength
20
= 10 N kg-1 )
• If the vacuum space in the
10 c tube is filled with gas at a
pressure of ¼ atm, what will
the new positions be for
points A and B, based on
the levels in the figure?
 Solution

a) The vacuum space is created when the mercury column

drops to a height of 76 cm above the mercury surface.
This is the maximum height at which the atmospheric
pressure can provide support.
b) As the space above the mercury column in the tube is a
vacuum, thus:
Pressure at A = 0
Pressure at B = 96 – 20 = 76 cm Hg
Pressure at C = 96 – 10 = 86 cm Hg
c) Atmospheric pressure
= hpg
= ( 0.76 m )(1.36 x 104 kg m-3 )( 10 Nkg-1 )
= 103 360 N m-2
= 1.03 x 105 Pa
d) ¼ atm = ¼ ( 76 cm Hg )
= 19 cm Hg
New pressure at A = 0 + 19 = 19 cm Hg
New pressure at B = 76 + 19 = 95 cm Hg
New position of A = 96 – 19 = 77 cm
new position of B = 96 – 95 = 1 cm
2. Which of the following places has the highest
atmospheric pressure?
b)On the roof top of a building
c) On the top of Gunung Tahan
d)Inside a room
e)Inside the parking basement of a building.
 HOMEWORK
1. What height of a column of mercury
would exert the same pressure as
680 cm oil ?
( The density of oil = 800 kg m-3)
(density of mercury = 13.6 x 103
kgm-3)
 vacuum

2. A simple is used to measure the atmospheric pressure:

b) What is the purpose of having the vacuum space above the mercury
column?
c) Calculate the value, h, of the column if the mercury is replaced by
water of density 1000 kgm-3
d) What would be the effect on the height of the column of mercury if
some air were trapped within the top of the mercury column?
e) Explain what you would expect to see if a wider tube replaced the
glass tube.
f) Give two reasons why a simple barometer is not suitable as an
altimeter
RECAP
• What is the pressure
distribution inside the
cup?
• The weight of liquid
• What is the pressure
distribution which allows
the card to be retained on
the bottom of the cup?
• The atmospheric
pressure
THE END !
 Kinetic molecular theory
• Gases are made of tiny, individual particles. The volume of the
particles themselves is insignificant compared with the volume
occupied by the gas; therefore gases are mostly empty space.
• Gas particles move rapidly and randomly in straight-line motion.
Particles collide with one another and with the walls of the container in
elastic collisions (no overall loss or gain of energy)
• Individual particles are far apart and have very little attraction for each
other. Particles are considered to move independently of each other.
• The average kinetic energies of particles of different gases are equal at
a given temperature.
• The average kinetic energies of gas particles increase as the
temperature increase.
 Newton’s 2nd law

The force, F, exerted on the wall =

the rate of change of momentum
F = mv – mu
t
 Newton’s 3rd law

The force exerted by the molecule

hitting the wall = opposite to the force
exerted by the wall on the molecule
 Temperature T Temperature T1 > T Temperature T

a) Gas pressure = p b) Gas pressure > p

because velocity of c) Gas pressure > p
molecules increases because more
at higher molecules collide
temperature with walls of
container.

Gas pressure in a container is due to the collisions of gas

molecules with the walls.